Do The Math: Chiller Plant Optimization Strategies
Chiller selection and control strategies, particularly in California, with its volatile deregulated electricity marketplace require a more proactive approach when making choices among multiple chillers. Functionally integrated hybrid chiller plants with or without thermal storage can offer significant benefits for our clients when a real-time pricing (RTP) approach - as opposed to a more traditional life-cycle cost analysis - is employed as an operational control strategy.
One way of dealing with the pricing uncertainty in California is to use RTP as the integral driver in chiller sequencing and control. In this way, building operators can meet foreseeable needs for flexibility in the purchase of electricity on a real-time basis, and natural gas at released capacity prices.